This event was a real treat for me because I was invited to speak by my college friends, Jean and Cheryl Foley. Jean and Cheryl have been close friends ever since we were all freshmen in college and meeting each other for the first time in the first few days of our college life together; and we all agreed it would probably be better for us not to tell the stories of the somewhat crazy things that we did in college now that we look back on and wonder, “What were we thinking?” But the reason that this was special for me is that I haven’t had as much contact with the Catholic side of the Christian world over the last few years, even though it was the Catholic students group in college that really nurtured and defended me; and really was where I had my real spiritual awakenings, and understanding of who God really is. So Jean and Cheryl are very special to me, and I was delighted to get this invitation to speak to the individuals in the Northeastern district of the Catholic Engaged Encounter group.
This district basically covers everything from Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, all the way up to Maine. So, by speaking to this group, I was basically having an opportunity to present a lot of new information to the men and women who are mentoring those who want to get married in the Catholic Church, and are working with the engaged couples and helping them in their premarital quest. It was a wonderful group of people to be able to speak to, and it was very well received. I was just delighted to have a chance to do this.
The icing on the cake also was that on Saturday morning — this morning I had to fly out quite early because I wanted to be home in time for my daughter’s soccer games. And my friends Julie and Scott Fidler from Pennsylvania decided to drive down and have breakfast with me at the Baltimore airport, so we could spend a couple of hours together early in the morning before I left. That is true friendship, to be willing to drive — to be willing to get up at 3:30 in the morning and drive two hours to meet me by 7 AM in Baltimore. So, that was wonderful to be able to spend a few minutes together and reconnect in person instead of just over phone and email.